Android 5.0 Lollipop Update for Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 to Arrive “in the Coming Weeks”

After months of rumors, the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 is now officially official. Google revealed today that the name of the new major version of their mobile operating system is called Android 5.0 Lollipop and that all the Nexus and Google Play Edition devices that support KitKat will get the update.

Google also said that the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Nexus 5, Nexus 7, Nexus 10, and other supported devices will be released for the public “in the coming weeks.” The exact date when the roll out will begin wasn’t revealed but it’s expected to arrive anytime soon.

As you may know, back in June, during the Google I/O event, the Mountain View-based giant officially introduced the new major update as Android L. It was made available soon after for testing purposes as Android L Developer Preview, and now the final version has been officially confirmed. Let’s have a look at the main features of the new update.

Material Design is the a new UI introduced by Android 5.0 Lollipop centered around vivid colors, responsiveness, and natural shadows. According to Google, these new elements will bring “intuitive experiences across all your devices.”

The new update also arrives with a new way to handle notifications, bringing a new Notifications Panel and Lock Screen. You will be able to view and respond to notifications directly from your lock screen, the new heads-up notifications won’t interrupt your activity, and it has a more intelligent way to prioritize notifications.

The update also comes with improved battery life and statistics. Google has included a battery saver feature, the battery settings screen will show how much time you have left before needing to charge your device, and, when your device is plugged in, it will show estimated time left until the battery is fully charged. Lollipop also comes with security improvements such as encryption automatically turned on, SELinux enforcing for all apps, and Android Smart Lock.

Android 5.0 Lollipop introduces multiple users for phones, guest user profiles, and screen pinning. The later one allows you to pin your screen so “another user can access just that content without messing with your other stuff.” It improves connectivity, as well, bringing better network handoffs, enhanced network selection logic, power-efficient scanning for nearby Bluetooth Low Energy devices, and a new Bluetooth Low Energy peripheral mode. The new Quick Settings menu is accessed with two swipes down form the top of the screen instead of pressing a dedicated button in the notifications bar. You will find toggles for flashlight, mobile hotspot, screen rotation, cast screen, and more, along with a dedicated slider for brightness.

As you may know, the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 also brings runtime and performance improvements. The obsolete Dalvik runtime has been replaced by ART which promises up to 4 times performance improvements, smoother UI, and better multitasking. The new Android version also has comes with support for 64-bit processors, now allowing Android OEMs to use desktop class CPUs on their devices.

Once you install the new update you will be able to enjoy improvements in the Media compartment. It comes with lower latency audio input, multi-channel audio stream mixing, USB Audio support, OpenGL ES 3.1 for better graphics, and support for UHD 4K 10-bit video playback.

In Android Lollipop, devices with digital signal processing support will respond to “OK Google” command even if the screen is turned off. The new Android version comes with support for over 68 languages (15 new), better accessibility for the visually impaired, easier device set-up, and more.

Without a doubt, the Android 5.0 Lollipop update is the most major update Google’s mobile operating system has seen since its debut. It’s even bigger than the jump from Android 2.3 Gingerbread to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Here, you will be able to find the full changelog for the Android 5.0 Lollipop update.

Even though the initial Android 5.0 Lollipop announcement said that the new update will “be available on Nexus 5, 7, 10 and Google Play edition devices in the coming weeks,” Google confirmed later on that the new update will also be released for Nexus 4. Officials of the Mountain View-based company also said that the more-than-two-year old Nexus 7 2012 will get the Lollipop update.

I remind you that the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 will only be pushed to your device if you are running a stock firmware. Otherwise, you will have to flash the Android 5.0 factory images on your smartphone/tablet. Anyway, stick with us as we will bring you fresh Lollipop news over the next few days.